Sewing thread package



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SEWING THREAD PACKAGE Filed March 23, 1964 J I I l T chine.

United States Patent land Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,844 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 2, 1963, 13,010/63 4 Claims. (Cl. 242--137.1)

This invention relates to packages for sewing threads.

The usual method of packaging sewing threads, particularly for domestic use, involves winding the thread on a wooden reel which has a central bore so that it can be mounted on the supporting spindle of a sewing ma- However, this form of package is in some respects unsatisfactory. For example, when machine sewing is commenced the thread is jerked suddenly in starting the reel to rotate, and when the machine is stopped at the end of a line of sewing the reel exhibits a tendency to run on. The stitching produced by the machine thus tends to be uneven and on occasions theover-running of the thread has produced tangles. In order to reduce the latter effect a small felt disc has been placed on the machine spindle to act as a brake and prevent the thread running on but the felt disc has the undesirable effect of increasing the drag on the thread during starting and sewing.

An alternative package which has been used comprises a light carboard tube upon which the thread is wound. Due to its light weight initial drag and over running effect are markedly reduced but not entirely eliminated.

However, in neither form of package is there any protection for the thread against soiling and, particularly with the ca-rboard tube, it is often difficult to apply permanent identification markings. Other wrappers of transparent material such as Cellophane (registered trademark) have been used and although such wrappers serve to protect the thread before sale, the customer must invariably remove the wrapper before the thread is used and the objection has been raised that the wrapper gives a false impression of the true colour of the thread beneath it.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved thread package in which the thread may be pulled off at a substantially constant tension without the use of brakes or other friction devices and without overrun and in which the thread may be protected from spoiling and on which the identification marks may be maintained throughout the life of the package.

In accordance with the invention, a thread package comprises a holder containing a cop of thread, an orifice in the holder through which thread from the cop may be withdrawn, the holder being adapted for mounting on a supporting post such as may be provided on a sewing machine.

Preferably the thread is wound to form a coreless cop and withdrawn from the inside of the cop.

Preferably also the holder is in the form of a closed elongated container the thread orifice being at one end thereof, and the container is pierced adjacent the end thereof opposite to the thread orifice to provide a mounting aperture or apertures through which a supporting spindle or post may be passed to support the package.

Most conveniently the container is cylindrical in shape and the mounting aperture or apertures are arranged in diametrical oppositon in the cylindrical wall thereof so that the axis of the container is at an angle to the axis of the aperture or apertures. The apertures may also provide inspection holes through which the true colour of the thread may be seen although it is preferred that the container is made predominantly of a transparent ma- 3,302,903 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 terial for rapid recognition of the thread colour. In an alternative arrangement, the cylindrical container carries a support at one end pierced with a hole forming a mounting aperture through which the supporting spindle is passed.

A suitable material for the container is any of the transparent plastics, e.g. celluloid or a transparent acrylic resin. The transparent material may also be capable of filtering out ultra-violet light to prevent fading of the colour of the thread. The thread orifice may be provided in an end cap which is sealed to or detachably fixed to the open end of the container after the thread cop has been inserted and the cap is preferably slit in one or more places to form an anchorage for the running end of the thread when the package is not in use.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood a description will now be given of a preferred embodiment illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a thread package according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation showing three such packages mounted ready for use on the supporting spindle of a sewing machine;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a further embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of FIG- URE 3, and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are respectively top and bottom end views.

Referring to FIGURE 1 a container comprising a cylindrical tube 1 of Perspex" (registered trademark) transparent acrylic resin, and closed at one end 2, con tains a coreless cop of thread 3, the other end of the tube being closed by an end cap 4 which is placed in position after the thread has been. inserted in the tube. The cop is so wound that the thread may be withdrawn from its inside and the running end is passed through an orifice 5 in the end cap. A number of slits 6 are provided in the cap to form trapping means for the running end of the thread, when not in use.

Adjacent the end of the tube opposite to the end cap 4, the cylindrical wall is pierced by a pair of diametrically opposed holes 7 through which the mounting spindle of a sewing machine may be passed] to support the container on the machine for use as is most clearly shown in FIGURE 2. As shown in FIGURE 2 a number of containers may be mounted at the same time on the machine so that different coloured threads can be used at will without the necessity of changing containers on the mounting spindle.

Referring to FIGURES 3-6, in :a further embodiment of the invention a hollow cylindrical container 10 of a transparent plastic material, e.g. Perspex (registered trademark), terminates at one end in a generally frustoconical closure 11. An aperture 12 to receive a sewing machine mounting post is formed in the closure 11, the axis of the aperture being at right angles to the axis of the container 10. The other end of the container is closed by a detachable dished end cap 13 provided with a peripheral flange 14 which seats on the end of the container wall, the dished part of the cap being a push fit within the container. A central hole 15 is made in the end cap and there is a slit 16 in the flange 14. The running end 17 of thread drawn from a coreless cop 18 inside the container is led out through the hole 15, and trapped in the slit 16 to prevent the thread being drawn off accidentally when the package is not in use.

The package described above has: numerous advantages over the conventional sewing machine thread package, for example:

Due to the fact that the thread is drawn off from the inside of the cop and the package itself does not rotate, drag on the thread is negligible and there is no danger of the thread over-running when sewing stops. Since the bulk of the thread is at all times within the container there is no danger of the package unwinding and causing the thread to tangle or snarl, and it is protected from soiling.

The container forms a ready available surface for identification markings and other indicia and such marking or indicia remaining in position throughout the life of the package. The transparent nature of the cylindrical con tainer enables the thread colour to be readily seen and the holes 7 for the sewing machine spindle also serve as inspection holes enabling a check to be made on the precise shade of the thread (which may in artificial light be disguised by the transparent material).

Compared with the conventional wooden reel, this smaller package carries the same length of thread.

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing thread package comprising an elongated container, a coreless cop of sewing thread housed in the container and adapted to be unwound from the inside of the cop, a removable cap on one end of the container, an orifice in substantially the centre of the cap, and mounting means at the other endof the housing chamber for mounting the loaded package on a supporting post to maintain the axis of the housing chamber substantially at right angles to the supporting post.

2. A sewing thread package comprising an elongated cop housing chamber, a coreless cop of sewing thread con tained in the housing chamber and adapted to be unwound from the inside of the cop, an orifice provided in one end of the housing chamber and substantially axially aligned with the centre of the coreless cop, and a guideway which is located externally of the other end of the housing chamber and whose axis is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the housing chamber and through which may be passed a vertical supporting post to maintain the loaded housing chamber substantially at right angles to the supporting post.

3. The thread package as set forth in claim 1 further including a slit means on a side wall of said cap for securing a thread end therein.

4. A thread package comprising an elongated container, a coreless cop of sewing thread housed in the container and adapted to be unwound from inside of the cop, a removable cap on one end of the container, an orifice in substantially the centre of the cap, and rigid mounting means integral with the container for supporting the package with the central longitudinal axis of the container transverse to an axis of said mounting means.

References fited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 359,198 3/1887 Banks 242-138 2,262,360 11/1941 Gottleib 242l37.1 3,094,209 6/1963 Krupp 20663.S

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Examiner. 

1. A SEWING THREAD PACKAGE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CONTAINER, A CORELESS COP OF SEWING THREAD HOUSED IN THE CONTAINER AND ADAPTED TO BE UNWOUND FROM THE INSIDE OF THE COP, A REMOVABLE CAP ON ONE END OF THE CONTAINER, AN ORIFICE IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTRE OF THE CAP, AND MOUNTING MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSING CHAMBER FOR MOUNTING THE LOADED PACKAGE ON A SUPPORTING POST TO MAINTAIN THE AXIS OF THE HOUSING CHAMBER SUBSTRANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SUPPORTING POST. 